A protective cover for a bedding element, such as a mattress or a pillow, is often used as a dust barrier between the bedding element and a person resting on the element. In some cases, allergenic health problems are caused if the material used as the dust barrier is too porous, thereby allowing dust created by dust mites to enter the personal space or breathing area of the person resting on the bedding element. In general, conventional protective covers are available for reducing allergenic health problems associated with dust mites. One such conventional protective cover, made of a relatively inexpensive thermal plastic, such as polyvinyl chloride, is considered to be a disposable cover. However, such a disposable protective cover is often noisy and uncomfortable and is expensive over time if replaced frequently. Finely woven fabrics, such as cottons or polycottons, with a sufficiently high thread count are also used to make a conventional protective cover. The protective cover of finely woven fabric provides a good allergen barrier, but such a protective cover is expensive and sometimes shrinks after numerous wash/dry cycles. Hence, there is a need for a protective fabric that is less expensive than finely woven fabrics and is more durable than other fabrics used for protective covers. Often fabrics that may appear to be useful for making protective covers have characteristics unsuitable for such a use.
In addition to protection from dust mites and their fecal matter, there are other uses for protective covers. Other pests such as fleas, bed bugs and the like often become a health problem or a nuisance. Protective covers for bedding elements are generally desired to significantly reduce many of the health problems and irritations associated with insects and dust.